Lio

Lio are very similar to horses and were introduced to the islands of Mo'olelo by a halfling trader named Loshad Appleblossom. Prior to the introduction of the lio, Mo'olelo did not have any transport animals or beasts of burden of any kind. Back then, the largest mammals on the islands were pua'a, and they were raised exclusively as food.
Lio were specifically brought to the islands to support the growing cattle industry in Mo'olelo. Appleblossom was a close friend of Abella and Ramon Caballos, who brought the first cattle to Mo'olelo and eventually became the founders of The Paniolos, the cattle ranching guild in Mo'olelo. Appleblossom brought the first lio, taught the Caballos and the first ranchers in Mo'olelo how to use lio in cattle ranching. Afterward, as lio were more frequently used, they were also more commonly used as a source of travel throughout Mo'olelo and still are today.
Besides The Paniolos, the Ho'ouna Express also use lio as part of their day-to-day work. The Ho'ouna Express is Mo'olelo's postal service, where letters and parcels are transported by messengers who ride lio. Clearly, the Ho'ouna Express operates within each island as lio cannot swim or fly. For interisland delivery, wa'a and teleportation magic are utilized.

Basic Information

Dietary Needs and Habits

Wild lio eat whatever grass or shrubbery they can find. Although they can be destructive to the native forests and grasslands in large numbers, they're wild numbers aren't large enough to cause trouble. Many wild lio are hunted or domesticated before they are able to breed out of control, since in the wild, they do not have any predators.
Domesticated lio often eat hay, oats or other feed meant for work animals like the lio. Many in Mo'olelo who have lio to care for tend to make their own feed or use people food such as u'ala, poi, 'ulu, fish broth or pua'a broth.

Conservation Status

Lio are not currently under any special protection. All lio are expected to be taken care of by their owners, whether they are used for work, transportation or other uses. There are wild lio, lio who may have escaped or whose owners have died and they don't belong to anyone. Wild lio are fair game for hunting or for anyone to domesticate for their own purposes.